


life, continuing

by tauri



Category: Pocket Monsters: X & Y | Pokemon X & Y Versions
Genre: F/F, Spoilers
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-11-24
Updated: 2016-11-24
Packaged: 2019-02-19 16:02:33
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 7,530
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13127058
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/tauri/pseuds/tauri
Summary: The plan failed; life goes on.





	life, continuing

**Author's Note:**

> Originally written for 31_days, for the prompt "my indifference to the world grew vast" (2016-11-02). Then time passed and I'm like a year late for posting it I guess, but here it is please enjoy regardless???

The cruise liner cut a steady pace through the water as it entered the last leg of its journey; the sight of Castelia City on the horizon was visible to those who had stepped out onto the deck, light streaming into the night sky. Diantha stood as close to the view as she could manage, laughing happily at the changing light show ahead of her, one hand holding her hat steady and the other against the ship's rail. Malva stood beside her, giving the outward impression of apathy, but still casting a glance over her shoulder to the sight of the city.

"No matter how many times I make this journey, it's always exciting...!" She turned to address Malva, smiling. "See? And you wanted us to come by plane."

"I still say that would have been the swifter option."

Diantha gave Malva a friendly nudge with one elbow. "Oh, you. Didn't I already say, I agree with you? Yes, it would certainly be faster to fly from Kalos to Unova, that much is fact. But would we have _this_?" She gestured to the view. "Although, that isn't to say that it isn't fun to see Unova by air, of course. We have the luxury of choice, but I just thought that this would be a more dramatic way for you to experience your first World Tournament. Don't you think?"

The journey had taken its time, as was typical of luxury cruise liners. It took a certain sort of person to enjoy those environments, and Malva was not entirely convinced that she was one of them. On top of that, it had been a leisurely journey full of _those questions_ , always directed towards her, always of some matter of no importance but that of being polite. There was no reason, Malva knew, to let Diantha see her building irritation - although Diantha was always quite astute at sensing such things. In that light, Malva wasn't completely sure that the constant questions about _this_ and _that_ weren't on purpose. There was no way to come back against it; she was only being nice, after all. With _that smile_. Malva closed her eyes, leaning back against the railing and concentrating on the sound of the sea around them.

"... Yes. Of course, you're right."

Diantha smiled, but with open concern in her eyes. She turned back to face the approaching city, keeping her gaze on it as she spoke. "It's no good if you're tired before we already get there, Malva...! It's basically a holiday. I mean, it's 'for work', but, _really_. ...I did a little string-pulling, to be honest. The director was adamant that we could use one of our Unova contacts, but I made sure they knew how much I wanted you here beside me. Maybe they thought I was being a bit pushy? But, I got my way in the end. Right?"

Malva opened her eyes, _knowing_ the basic script of this situation. It was a great honour, it would be a new experience, she'd been called in to film the World Tournament _at Champion Diantha's own request_... all these elements that any garden-variety journalist would be tripping over themselves with superlatives for. And she couldn't deny them, either; it _was_ an honour, it _was_ a new experience, it _was_ something that she knew should be grasped with both hands, but--

"After all, you've been busy lately, right? All those news reports, late into the night. They keep saying things like 'this is the last group from Team Flare to round up!' and then they just keep finding more of them, but I think that it's--... without the head of an organisation, the body quickly fails, right? So... Kalos should be peaceful, for the time being. As good a time as any to take a trip away...!"

The plan had failed, and life went on as usual. Malva had always prided herself on the extent to which she concealed her loyalties - the public knew her for her journalistic integrity, Pokémon trainers knew her as a formidable member of the Kalos Elite Four, and nobody but the top brass of Team Flare had known her to be involved at all. The grunts were scattered to the four winds, but they knew little enough to tell anybody who might try to force information from them. Aside from that, what even was the point? If Lysandre had escaped, then he had kept that secret even to his closest confidantes. Malva still wasn't quite sure if, in the event of his exile, he would take pains to try to find her, or if he would simply vanish from sight and from mind entirely. Everything had been building up to that for so long--... but there had always been the possibility of failure. Even as confident as they had been, there were few situations in life with _no_ chance of failure. They'd been cocky, Malva knew that better than anyone. So deep into their research, it had been so easy to buy into the future possibilities they told themselves. _It would work, and then--_

(But it hadn't, and there had been no contingency plan. It simply _ended_ , and that was it, and all continued as if it had never happened. And Diantha still smiled, because she had no idea just how deep that particular well went. To her, Team Flare's failure was unequivocally a good thing - surely, for all of Kalos? As Champion, Malva would have expected little else.)

"... It's probably just all this sea air. I'm sure I'll probably perk up once we're on solid ground."

Diantha chuckled gently. "Makes sense for you to be weak against water, right? Anyway, we've got a lot of fun things planned, so I'm sure you'll sleep soundly. It's been a while since I last went to Unova, and I know you've never been, so I wanted to make sure I could show off the region at its best for you. Yes, we're here to work, but that doesn't mean we can't kick back and relax too, right? Consider it a perk of the job."

Malva turned around, looking towards Castelia directly for the first time. "There are worse things to be paid to do, certainly."

 

\----

 

It wasn't quite that Malva was on auto-pilot, but she was happy enough to let Diantha lead her around the city. She wasn't the type to fall to indecision, but she knew herself well enough to know that... perhaps this was depression? It was _a_ depression, without a doubt. In any situation, to have hoped for something strongly enough only to have it fail, well, that would affect anybody, surely? _And none of us had had any thought of what might happen afterwards._ Malva wanted to believe that she hadn't been so blinkered as to put all of her eggs in one basket - she still had the means to survive comfortably, and everything could continue on as usual and nobody would ever know of her involvement with Team Flare, so that just left... _what, exactly?_

The restaurant that Diantha had chosen seemed appropriate enough for a star of the screen (and her aide), fancy enough that it was quite an oasis of calm compared to the hustle and bustle of the outside world. Privately, Malva had wondered if there was anywhere that Diantha could go without being recognised, but Diantha addressed that herself with a smile as they waited for their first course.

"Between you and me, this is quite a good place to go if you want to be left alone." She dropped her voice to barely above a whisper, leaning in with a conspiratorial air. "After all, it would be quite uncouth to show a disruptive level of enthusiasm here. I don't think any of the patrons who could afford to dine here would want to risk the embarrassment."

Malva gave a humourless laugh. "The power of money, right?"

Diantha shrugged lightly; the comment seemed to make her more wistful than happy. "It comes in useful for some things, I have to admit. Maybe it would be nicer if it didn't, but..." Trailing off, she didn't seem to have a solution to her suggested problem.

"It gives us things like this, so we should enjoy them, don't you think? If you take too many of the world's sins on your shoulders, it would only crush you." Unbidden, Lysandre's image flashed into Malva's mind. She glanced down, taking it upon herself to adjust the positioning of her napkin as opposed to thinking on that one thought too hard.

"I suppose you're right. We just have to do what we can, yes?"

It made for nice lip service, but Malva had never had so much concern for fellow humans as, sometimes, she'd thought she maybe should. Or perhaps not so much _should_ as _was expected_ , but those thoughts were only late-night theories that she could easily dismiss. Lysandre had been so driven, saying that what they were doing was for the good of the world, for the good of mankind, to erase the filth of humanity and set everything back onto a straight path... and she'd admired him for being so driven, but had never quite bought into those words herself. As far as he knew, she was at his side to support his ideals. In her mind, it had been more abrupt and straightforward - _generally, human beings are a nuisance. Should the plan succeed, there would be that much less noise in the world--_...

The meal was delicious, and Malva appreciated it, but each act of skill displayed before them brought thoughts back to her mind; Unova wouldn't have been spared, would it? Only a small group of those from Kalos would have taken on ownership of the world. The whole world! Perhaps they might never have come to Unova, and its cities and towns would have been left to erode in time. Certainly, they wouldn't be having these high-class meals at exclusive establishments anymore. But perhaps that was just part of the price of taking control? There had to be sacrifices. _There would have had to have been sacrifices._ Until then, they could take advantage of the excess of the world-- _there is no 'then'. This is it, now._

Situated in one of Castelia's tall skyscrapers, the restaurant offered an excellent view of the city beyond, and also of the port that they had stepped off of. High up enough that the cars and pedestrians below were just window-dressing to the general landscape, but the intensity of people didn't seem to drop, even as night fell around them. Wasn't that the sort of thing they said about places like this, ' _the city that never sleeps'_? It was the business capital of Unova before anything else, and Malva knew enough of that world to know that _that_ didn't sleep, even if those behind it needed to. So many people below them, scurrying around, filled full of thoughts and priorities that they might never think to entertain... Malva watched them silently, unable to say that the view wasn't interesting, but feeling somewhat disconnected from it all. _But then, what else is the point of somewhere like this? That's a feature, not a bug._

There were people who might have regarded silence in a conversation as rudeness, or something that had to be filled, but Malva felt that she could at least trust Diantha enough not to require that. They'd spent enough time together at the Pokémon League that she liked to think that they had got used to each other, in a way. That wasn't to say that Diantha wouldn't fire off various conversation-starters in an enthusiastic enough tone, but she also wouldn't push it too far if Malva didn't seem interested in responding. " _You have to talk to so many other people as part of your job, I'm sure it's a relief to be able to be quiet every now and then!_ " It felt... comfortable, somewhat. Malva didn't like to feel indebted to others, but she did appreciate Diantha's manner. (And so, she kept her attention on the outer world, allowing herself that mild fascination.)

"It's a really nice view, isn't it?" (The answer seemed obvious, so Malva didn't respond.) "I'm always surprised when I come here. That's not to say that Kalos doesn't have its crowds, but nothing like this...! Though, that's something I rather like about Kalos. It's nice to come here, and see what it's like, but... it's also nice to go back, even to Lumiose, and appreciate what we have there, too."

"Mm." Malva turned away from the view, back towards Diantha. "It shouldn't be, but it's always surprising to see so many people. It's easy to get used to how things are where you are, and then... like you say, you come to somewhere like this, and get to see the difference. ...I'm not sure I would want to live somewhere like this. It's a little too busy for my liking."

"Haha, well, yes. I wonder how many people would choose to live here? I'm sure a lot of them want to be where the work is. There are quieter places even here in Unova - the World Tournament itself is quite near to Driftveil. It's a port city, but it's near to the mountains, and the forests are rather close... each region gives its own methods of getting away from it all." She leant her chin against one hand, smiling. "If you wanted, we could come back for a holiday sometime. I think there's some kind of resort-type city to the north... Humilau? I've not been there myself, yet. I'd like to go! Wouldn't you?"

"If I was going to do that, I'd probably just pack up and go to Alola. Maybe set up there completely. Wouldn't that be nice?"

"Oh! Haha, that's a bit permanent for my liking--! I don't do too well in warm weather. Well, it's not so much _warm_ as it is _hot_... that's always the thing, isn't it? Resorts, holidays, places like Alola... they're such popular holiday destinations, but I think I'd be on the edge of fainting all the time. I'd certainly like to visit, though!... And as Champion, I probably will have to, at some point... well, I'll deal with that when the time comes. I'll get a battery-powered fan. I'll get ten of them! And enough batteries to last me! Do you think that would be enough...?"

"For Alola...? I wouldn't know. I'm sure you'll have enough assistants running around you to be able to do something about it, though."

"Well, perhaps... I wouldn't like to put them out too much, though..."

Malva looked back towards the city, gently turning that thought over in her mind. Everywhere had its own sense of pace, didn't it? Somewhere like Castelia, so rushed and busy. Somewhere like Lumiose, still busy but with that laid-back atmosphere to it. Somewhere like Alola, where a laid-back lifestyle was the primary driving force. _We could have killed them all, and then there wouldn't have been any pace at all. We'd have set the pace. What would that have been like?_ It felt quite stark to think of it in those terms, but it was what would have happened. For all of Lysandre's pretty words about 'saving humanity', there were probably few that would have agreed with him were it against their will, and with the end result of them dying. _But they would have died, wouldn't they? If not all of them, then most of them._ _And then what?_

"... Malva?"

On hearing her name spoken, Malva snapped out of her reverie. "-- Hm?"

"You really drifted off, there...! I hope you're not too tired. I was just saying, I think we've got enough time to get to the theatre... I wasn't sure we would, but I think we do. There's a show running at the moment that I'd wanted to see - it's not that I _entirely_ planned this trip about being able to see it, but it might just have been a little bit of a priority. You don't mind, do you?" She pressed her hands together in a pleading gesture. "I'm sure you'll enjoy it!"

"Well, I, ah--... do you have tickets?"

Diantha touched the side of her nose, giving a wink and a smile. "I have contacts, don't you worry about that."

 

\----

 

Travelling with Diantha was always somewhat exhausting, albeit not in a bad way. More than that, Malva often found it surprising - even here in Unova, the people who would roll over without question just because Diantha had a request. There was something to be said for the social standing a Pokémon Champion held, but it still felt surprising; Diantha didn't like to cause trouble for people, but she could still charm them with a smile in a instant. Malva somewhat expected that for Kalos, but even outside of their home bubble... would it be the same in any region? Malva supposed she'd never really thought of it in that much detail. Most of her time had been spent keeping her private life separate from Diantha's friendly nosiness, but now... _now what?_ She sat on the end of her hotel bed, pulling the ties out of her hair before putting it up into a simple ponytail for the night.

"See, isn't this nice? And again, we've got such an excellent view of the city... but see, over there? You can see the edge of the desert from here. It's such a contrast, isn't it? The city, here, and then just... _desert_. Or, mostly desert. I believe they're attempting some construction along there? That must be tough..."

It was quite obvious that Diantha was filling the space where the obvious question was waiting. "I wasn't aware we were going to share a room."

Diantha laughed, as if surprised. "Oh, really? Well, it was just... isn't it fun to share a room, sometimes? It's like having a sleepover, or something. I mean, when's the last time you shared a room with somebody?"

"That's quite a private question."

Diantha blushed slightly, now _definitely_ surprised. "I didn't mean--! I, um... n-not like that, I mean--... I didn't mean it like that. A sleepover! That's what I meant! Like when you were a child."

"I didn't really do that sort of thing."

"No? Oh..." Diantha's expression fell momentarily. "Well, all the more reason to make up for it now! I should have brought along some snacks, or something. We can probably still get room service at this hour, but that's a bit fancy - for a sleepover it should be treats and cakes and snacks and--"

"--And shouldn't you be getting your beauty sleep, in preparation for the Pokémon World Tournament...? We're not just here to have fun, you know."

The 'room' itself was quite extensive, with separate sections for the beds, chairs and sofas, and a kitchenette - more like an apartment than simply a hotel _room_. The two beds were separated by a bedside table between them, the light placed on it contributing its soft glow to the room. Diantha herself seemed to wear her hair loose in preparation to sleep, her white pyjamas not dissimilar to her usual outfit as Champion; Malva herself kept to a simple nightdress, which felt suitable for the Unova climate. She didn't particularly _mind_ having to share a room with Diantha - if it was really a problem, she was quite sure that strings could be pulled to get them separate rooms, but there was no point in creating a fuss about it now. They would only be there for a couple of days - hardly the end of the world. _And besides, it's not like I'm expecting those late-night calls anymore..._

Diantha kicked her feet into the air, taking on a mock-sulky tone. "I know, I _know_. But I don't really get the chance for this sort of thing all that often...! Usually travelling with assistants, it's not like--... well, it's not like travelling with friends, anyway. It's fine! But getting to share a room with you is a little bit special."

This wasn't the first time that Diantha had said something like that, but every time, it gave Malva pause for thought. _We're friends, are we?... I suppose we are. This is what friends do, isn't it? I suppose it is._ "I guess I'm less demanding than those assistants. Easier for you, right?"

"You do yourself a disservice, Malva...! Don't you ever want to just, I don't know, stay up all night talking about _secrets_?"

"... Not particularly. What sort of secrets did you want to talk about?"

"I don't know--! Just--" Diantha stretched her arms out, and fell back onto the bed. "I don't know! But it's okay to talk like friends do, isn't it? I suppose we're a little too old to talk about girlish things. Or--... no! That's no way to think. We can talk about whatever we want, as much as we want!"

"So... we should be talking about crushes and gossiping about teachers, is that right?"

Diantha smiled. "If you like...!"

"It's been a long time since I last thought about any of those things. I don't think I have any interesting stories like that to tell you."

"Well, it doesn't have to be about school. There must be gossip at the newsroom, right? Some juicy reporter trysts...? Or a boss nobody likes. I've certainly got a lot of stories from film sets--..."

"I'd really rather just go to sleep, if you don't mind. We've done quite a lot today, I'm tired."

"Oh! Oh... yes, of course. No, you're right, we have done a lot. We don't have to do everything today, after all. And like you say, tomorrow is the Tournament!... We can think about the fun things after that. My stories won't be going anywhere, after all...! Maybe I could tell you some _secret_ things. I can trust you, can't I?"

Diantha spoke brightly, and with such a smile that Malva couldn't find it in herself to disagree. "Oh, uh... of course."

"Maybe telling behind-the-scenes stories to a news reporter is a bad idea, but you're my friend before any of that. Besides, if they got out, I'd know where they came from, and then I'd have to get angry with you--!... But that wouldn't happen, so I don't have to worry about it." (Malva supposed that those words in themselves were the extent to which Diantha was willing to threaten her, but she spoke with a smile as she nestled in against the duvet.)

"... I've got better things to do than spread gossip, anyway."

"Oh? I thought that was your job...?" (Malva shot her a _glare_ , and then found a pillow thrown at her. Diantha just laughed.) "I'm joking--! No, it's definitely good that we've got trusty reliable informative news reporters on our side. Not like those hacks that go around reporting any old thing without checking their facts, or whatever. Right? Did I get that right?"

Malva gently tossed the pillow back over towards Diantha, before getting into her bed. "Close enough. Do you want me to leave the light on, or do you sleep with it off?"

"Um... off is fine." (The light went off with a 'click'.) "... It's really atmospheric, isn't it? It being dark in here, it being dark outside, but still being able to see the city... this really is a sight you couldn't get in Kalos."

Sitting up in bed, Malva supposed that she did agree with Diantha, but that it didn't really require verbal confirmation. She looked it over for a few moments more before settling down and pulling the covers over her, getting ready to sleep. "... This is your last chance to change your mind about us sharing a room, by the way. I might snore. Would that bother you?"

"... _Do_ you snore?"

"How am I meant to know? I'm asleep at the time. Maybe you snore. Do you snore?"

"... Well, if we're both asleep, then I'm sure we won't bother each other. Don't you think?"

"... I'm just teasing you."

"I know. ...Goodnight, then--!"

"... 'Night."

Malva hadn't been sure that it would be easy to talk Diantha into going to bed without all of the inevitable chat and conversation beforehand, but found herself quite surprised to hear Diantha's breathing even out quite soon afterwards. _Maybe she's more tired than she thought she was._ ... _Well, that makes things easier for me._ Closing her eyes, Malva too decided it was time to attempt sleep.

It was difficult, however. Sleeping in an unfamiliar place, aware of Diantha also being in the room... Malva had never quite got the hang of effortlessly falling asleep, and it seemed that this night was to be no exception. She was tired, and she knew that the morning would be miserable if she didn't get enough sleep beforehand, but sleep never seemed to work by logic's rules. Those people who tried to recommend things like 'empty your mind' and 'clear your thoughts'... _have people like that ever had thoughts in their life?!_ The more she tried, the less it worked. As usual.

For the most part, it had been an enjoyable day. Arriving early at Castelia, getting to look around the streets and the shops, eating somewhere fancy, seeing a sold-out show... things that surely anyone would feel honoured to experience. Not least that she was getting to do those things on behalf of the Pokémon League, having been brought along especially on Diantha's request. Being a member of the Elite Four, being 'friendly' with the Champion... it was easy to take advantage of things like that. Maybe it was worth asking Diantha about these things more often - _and why not? It's not like I've got anything better to do._

Diantha slept easily, safe in the knowledge that she was on a fun trip to show off her Pokémon skills, accompanied by somebody she called 'friend'. (Malva rolled over to face Diantha's bedside; she could just about make out her shape in the darkness, just able to catch the sound of her sleeping breathing over the far-off sounds of the city below.) That was the truth as far as she knew it, and there was no reason to dissuade her of that notion - especially not _now_. She wanted to talk about secrets? _Oh, but there are so many I could tell you. So many._

The thought that Diantha wholeheartedly seemed to consider Malva a _friend_ stuck in her thoughts. As if at any moment, she could turn around and say ' _oh, but I have contacts, and they say that you were in Team Flare--_ '... but time passed, and those accusations never came. Malva was careful to cover her tracks, but knew how easy it was for even the most carefully-crafted plans to come apart. _Maybe she knows, but doesn't want me to know that she knows, or--_.

_Or maybe she really just doesn't know._

Diantha was able to say a word like ' _friend_ ' so easily. To think about it, Malva supposed that it might be difficult for somebody of her status to maintain friendships - whether as the Champion or in her acting roles, she would be surrounded by assistants and producers and directors, face trainers, face her fans... Malva too was in the public eye, but she had never had so much of a desire to nurture friendships. The closest she could think of was maybe Lysandre, and even now, she wasn't sure she would ever have actually called him a _friend_. She had maybe been the closest to him in the organisation, but what did he do at the weekend? What sort of foods had he liked? What sort of secrets might _he_ have given away during a sleepover? They'd never bothered to get all that personal with one another, and that had suited Malva perfectly. But Diantha had friends, surely? Lots of them, probably. Maybe _that_ was the sort of question to ask during a sleepover, _hey Diantha, who's your best friend? Like, your BEST friend._

 _I hope it isn't me. Wouldn't that be awful? Out of all the people in the world that you choose to trust, you'd trust me._ (Of course, there was no evidence for or against that as a fact.) _...You're usually such a good judge of people, otherwise. Wouldn't that be terrible?_

_I could drop you in an instant, if I wanted._

_...If I wanted._

Everything seemed so simple, now. She'd been living her double life for so long, that suddenly coming out of it felt _too_ simple. Just being able to do her day job as usual, being able to come out on trips like this, spending time with Diantha... almost like a deception, like it was just too easy. Like at any moment, someone would pull the rug out from underneath her - and there was no guarantee that that couldn't happen, still. Her position in the organisation had been classified information, but that information could still be discovered. Malva thought about that, often. Xerosic was still out there somewhere, regardless of any others - but she felt confident that any Team Flare members that remained likely only had their own survival at heart. Such information _could_ be released, but why would it? Team Flare was no more, so what would be the point...? They all had to adjust to that fact in their own ways.

 

\----

 

From her perky disposition, Malva had assumed that Diantha would have been one of those annoyingly enthusiastic morning people, leaping out of bed with a smile for the world and the song in her heart--... but as she tended at the kitchenette to make breakfast while Diantha just sat up in bed, still seeming half asleep, she supposed that she'd been somewhat presumptuous on that point. There was still plenty of time before they needed to leave, but it didn't hurt to be ready and prepared in advance - or at least, that was Malva's view on the matter.

"Are you going to get up yet? We should be getting ready."

"Hhhnnn... but I set my alarm to go off in like..." Diantha lazily scrabbled for her phone on the bedside table. "Not for another two hours...! I'm just gonna... I'll just take a nap..."

"What? No, you're not doing that. We've got to eat breakfast, get washed and dressed, get ready to travel to Driftveil... and yes, I _know_ your first bracket isn't until the late afternoon, but we've still got interviews and broadcast tests and things to fit in before then. So get up, already! Look, I'm making breakfast. You can't eat my delicious breakfast unless you get out of bed."

"Hmmnmn... it does smell good..."

"Is this what your assistants have to put up with? Honestly."

"... I don't even think the helicopter will be ready this early..."

"No, but it'd be good to be ready for when it is. Unless you want to leave them waiting around while you're eating toast?"

Diantha sighed deeply. " _No_... okay, okay... I'll get up..." She flung her sheets to one side before reluctantly getting out of bed, wandering vaguely in the direction of the en suite. "... It won't ruin the meal if I wash first, right?"

"No, no. I'll keep it warm. You go on ahead." Malva watched as Diantha went through to the bathroom, closing the door behind her. Waiting on the eggs, Malva cast her gaze towards the windows, which now displayed the rather stunning view of Castelia in the morning. Despite the early hour, there were still many people and vehicles moving around below them - _but of course. When do they ever stop?_ (The sound of the shower was audible from the en suite.)

Making breakfast like that felt like quite a domestic task to tend to; if it had been anywhere else - or if she'd been with anybody else - Malva might have opted just to stop in at somewhere for a breakfast, or grabbed something on the way to somewhere, but she didn't know the area well enough for the latter and wasn't sure of how much of a distraction Diantha's popularity would be for the former. Even taking breakfast within the hotel served that risk - and there was a part of her that wanted to make breakfast, rather than rely on room service all the time. _Am I trying to show off to Diantha?_ The thought caused a smile; it was almost amusing. _I wonder why that would be._

Having eventually roused Diantha awake, the rest of the day went as planned. When the trip had been planned initially, Malva had raised the objection that there was no quick or direct way for them to get from Castelia to Driftveil - but, _a helicopter. Of course. How else?_ The journey itself gave better views of Unova than the boat or even the hotel, and seeing those sights from the air seemed to energise Diantha thoroughly.

The Pokémon World Tournament building itself was large and impressive, somewhat akin to the fancier Pokémon gyms. It also felt like the first place during their trip where Diantha's presence was overwhelmingly noticeable - the helicopter itself made a flashy entrance, and the gathered trainers and onlookers were only too pleased to see the _Kalos Champion herself_ emerge. From there, they separated - Diantha to prepare for her upcoming battles, and Malva to deal with the local and overseas broadcast staff. Later on they met for the formal interview, which almost felt like a game; Malva's up-beat television persona seemed to delight Diantha, but there was little that could be done about that. Speaking as if they didn't know one another, giving a cheerful greeting to the viewers...

During a moment of downtime, Diantha took a drink from her bottle of water before smiling gently at Malva. "You're so different when you're on television."

"Oh? Well... the viewers have certain expectations. I wouldn't get anywhere in this profession if I seemed cold or aloof to the audience, after all. You should know about that sort of thing though, shouldn't you? It's like acting. ...I suppose it _is_ acting, really."

"I was just thinking that it's nice to see you smile so much."

"It's--... huh?"

"I like your smile. It's good to see it."

Malva wasn't sure why straightforward statements like that felt so disarming, but supposed that part of Diantha's intangible charm. She cleared her throat and was ready to deflect the comment, but then the call came through that they were ready to resume filming, and so such things could be put to one side.

The Kalos broadcast would show limited coverage of the wider contest, and full coverage of the brackets that Diantha found herself competing in. As such, it was Malva's job to commentate on those battles, as required, and to give the in-depth analysis of Diantha's own battles. That was the main reason for their visit, after all - the main reason that Diantha had managed to drag her to Unova in the first place.

As a commentator, Malva's position in the audience was above the gathered crowds, in a glass-fronted box that faced directly towards the battle arena itself. There were also live feeds within the commentator's box itself, giving close-up views of battle participants from different angles. From her seated position, Malva could see a similar setup on the opposite side of the large room, as well as in other strategic locations facing the battleground; other people worked alongside her, but she knew from experience that those other rooms would be for broadcast to other regions. Perhaps they were permanently set up in able to do so? It hadn't taken anything for Diantha's people to set up the needed feeds and cables this time, at least. And the current match was of nobody that interested Malva particularly, but she kept her game face on and reported on the events faithfully. Presumably, this match was exciting for someone somewhere; at the very least, she appreciated the soundproofed nature of her perched position, given how loud and enthusiastic the crowd was otherwise.

In the space between battles, assistants would come to her, asking if she wanted them to get anything - something to eat, something to drink, _whatever you like_. That was part of the luxury, after all - her presence was required, so she could easily send others off to fetch things, if she so wished. _That gourmet burger place... don't you have to queue for it? Maybe that would be too much to ask for. Maybe._ Other than that, Malva let her attention drift to the crowds set around the main battle area. Of course, an event like this would always draw huge amounts of people, but that didn't lessen the effect of seeing them all _there_ , gathered together, cheering and commiserating as their mood took them. Malva couldn't imagine attending an event like this without being required in a professional capacity. She could understand the allure, mostly, but even the crowds outside had been amazing to witness, let alone once they were inside the building. It was probably cramped, down there. Wouldn't they all be pushing and shoving against one another? Maybe that, too, was part of the appeal. (That part, Malva couldn't understand.)

Thinking on it further, she supposed that this was probably one of the few chances that your average layperson had to witness a Champion's Pokémon battle in the flesh. If they weren't trainers - or even if they _were_ , but unskilled - then when would they ever have the opportunity? Maybe it would make for a great family outing. It was a fairly new facility within Unova, but it had made its place quickly; maybe people even flew in to be able to witness it? That certainly seemed possible.

 _These are the things you fill your days with, I suppose._ Thinking over that thought once more, Malva realised that it could apply to her just as much as it could the massed crowed beneath her. Maybe this was it, now, and maybe that was no bad thing. Attend events like this, report on them as always, perform the job with enough skill it make it seem effortless... if things were to continue like this, perhaps it wouldn't be a bad thing. Malva clung to that, in the moments when she could feel despair creeping up on her. _This isn't that bad._

_This isn't what we planned, but it isn't terrible._

The battles progressed to the point that Diantha took the stage. Malva hated the part of her that perked up with interest; _what does it matter? That's just what you always do._ And yet, seeing her there, smiling and waving at the crowds... she had an electric presence that made it so very easy to see how she stole the scene in any film she was cast in. It seemed strange to think of the Diantha who had struggled getting out of bed that morning, juxtaposed towards the confident crowd-pleaser Malva was now tasked with commentating upon. Malva almost found herself speechless, catching herself just in time. _It wouldn't do for the commentator to forget her words, after all._

All of the competitors who were present that day were of a high standard, but Malva had felt they had little to worry about. Diantha's stage presence was one thing, but her undeniable skill in a Pokémon battle was quite another - and it was rather satisfying to see the palpable excitement in the crowd on seeing her summon Mega Gardevoir. Of course, Mega Evolution was still a rare sight outside of Kalos; it was certainly _known_ elsewhere, especially with the amount of research within Kalos that had been dedicated to it, but - again - for those below to actually be able to _see_ a Pokémon use that power, right in front of their eyes...? Something special, something else to report to those who hadn't been able to attend.

Malva felt the slight desire to visit Diantha backstage between battles, but knew that getting there and back within the timeframes they had to work with - let alone actually getting to converse at any length - was probably inadvisable. To that end, it was all she could do to remain in the commentator's box, watching the crowd, thinking of Diantha. _The other Champions are backstage with you, right? Maybe I can get some gossip out of you, later. Maybe we could grab some last-minute interviews, before everybody goes off back to their home regions. The other organisations will probably be fighting for those..._ In Malva's heart, she knew that it was unofficially part of her job to fight for those interviews just as hard, but she couldn't prevent the lethargy from building in her heart. _It's not like they asked me to, after all. And Diantha will probably be tired too, and obviously I'll have to accompany her back to the hotel, so... that can be my excuse._

 

\----

 

As it was, that excuse turned out more like a prediction. Taking on that number of Pokémon battles in a row - as a challenge, for a crowd - was no mean feat, and the event went on well into the night. Malva had been surprised to see Diantha come up to the commentator's box in person, a tired smile on her face, " _Shall we go?_ "

It wasn't far to go to reach the helicopter (still waiting), but the chill in the night air came as something of a surprise. Malva hugged herself tightly as Diantha looked over their gathered things, making sure that nothing was forgotten. "These things certainly go on for a long time, don't they?"

"Well, it's to be expected of such an event. They don't happen very often, so when they _do_ happen...!"

"And you didn't feel tempted to, I don't know, go off on a Champion's Unova celebration? It might seem late, but the night is still young--!"

Just the thought of that seemed enough to make Diantha chuckle. "Wouldn't that be nice? But no, not quite. This is just one thing on the calendar, after all - places to go, people to see, and all of that."

"I suppose there's no Champion's end-of-year party, then."

"Not that I'm aware of!" Diantha looked thoughtful, for a moment. "I'm sure we could make it a thing, though. Would you be up for that?"

"What, me? Don't get me involved, _I'm_ not the Champion here."

"Oh, right..." She gave another one of _those_ smiles, the kind that made Malva stop in her tracks, just for a moment. "Then, I don't think we need it. Do you have any idea how boring things like that can get, sometimes?! I'm sure you do. You must have had them, right? Those official functions where you have to attend, and every part of you is just screaming _this is such a drag--!_ but you can't do anything about it... that's not to cast aspersions on the Champions of the other regions, of course. I'm sure they're all quite capable in a social setting. But if I couldn't bring you with me, what would be the point?"

"I, I mean--... I don't really see what I have to do with any of that. Champion things are Champion things, right? That's none of my business."

"I'm just _saying_ , it's nicer to go to these things with friends, rather than just trying to smalltalk with acquaintances. Don't you think?"

"So is this a promotion? ' _PA to the stars_ '. Has a nice ring to it."

"It could be. Would you want it to be?"

"Would it be a lot of work?"

"Did _this_ feel like work?"

Again, Malva hesitated, just for a moment. She'd been joking, but Diantha's responses seemed quite serious. The thought that such a thing seemed possible was intriguing, and as was common for many things involving Diantha, Malva disliked that it felt _so_ appealing. Had it felt like work? Some parts of it were inconvenient. Long journeys. Long working days. Nights spent trying to persuade Diantha to go to sleep, mornings spent trying to persuade her to wake up... but it wasn't anything that Malva would say that she hated, and as such, it appealed. It made a change, and maybe a change was just what she needed. Maybe feeling that deep disconnect from the World Tournament's gathered crowds didn't matter. _We're already in very different worlds._

"Maybe it would do me good to get out of the newsroom. So, do you have any other trips abroad planned? I've heard that winter in Sinnoh is quite spectacular..."

"I'm sure we could make an excuse for it! If you wanted. Do you really want to go? I haven't been to Sinnoh in a _long_ time..."

Perhaps it was just a distraction, but perhaps that was all that it needed to be. The world wasn't about to end - _and maybe that's okay...?_ Malva suspected that it would take time for that unshakeable sense of aimlessness to shift, if it was even possible for it to do so - but in the meantime, busying herself with Diantha's needs could bring some sort of entertainment. (And she would smile in _that certain way_ , and Malva wasn't sure what that meant, but supposed that she could live with the uncertainty.)


End file.
